Bishop Gregory G. M. Ingram - Chair, Commission on Publications
The Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour, Jr., Publisher
The Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, Editor
1. THE EDITOR’S CORNER:
An editorial
How could any Bishop…!
I want to how any bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church could allow any itinerant elder, local elder, local deacon, licentiate, exhorter, deaconess under his, or her supervision to be in good and regular standing in the Church who does not maintain biblical and theological proficiency.
I want to how any bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church could any person in the profession of ministry under his or her supervision to be in good and regular standing in the Church who does not subscribe to the periodicals of the African Methodist Episcopal Church!
Bishops would not allow any itinerant elder, local elder, local deacon, licentiate, exhorter, deaconess under his or her supervision to be in good and regular standing in the Church who do not maintain biblical and theological proficiency. And in that same vein, our bishops should insist that every minister subscribe to periodicals of the Church!
I want to know how any presiding elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church could allow a candidate for ministry or pastor under his or her supervision who does not have a plan for becoming and maintaining proficiency in the profession of ministry...
Presiding elders would not allow candidates for ministry or pastors not to have a plan for becoming or maintaining proficiency in the profession of ministry. And in that same vein, presiding elders should insist that every candidate for ministry and every minister subscribe to all of the periodicals of the Church!
I want to know why any pastor would allow any steward, trustee and other officers to serve in leadership positions in the local church who do not seek spiritual growth and development...
(The full text of this message ran in this venue for 48 hours. The full text will appear in The Christian Recorder. )
Question: Which bishop in Methodism in a three day period was ordained a deacon one day, an itinerant elder the next day, and set aside for the bishopric the next day.
Prize: A free one-year subscription to any periodical in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Rules: I must receive your answer within 24 hours of when this edition is posted and you must be an AME or attend an AME Church. Find the answer anywhere you can; ask your pastor, presiding elder, or bishop.
2. HERE’S WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT- A GREAT IDEA WORTH SHARING! JOHNSON CHAPEL ON-LINE:
On April 1st 2005, Johnson Chapel will launch its own on-line interactive web community at http://www.johnsonchapelamechurch.com/ through a new Ministry called “Member Connect”. Members and Friends of Johnson Chapel will be able to access at anytime, their own unique church calendar, announcements, discussion groups, prayer requests, photo albums and much, much more. In addition each Ministry/Auxiliary Leader will be able to communicate directly with those within their organizations to remind them of up coming meetings and events, assign or receive progress reports or follow up tasks and so much more. Watch your bulletin and e-mail for more details on this exciting new ministry tool designed to help us remain connected as a church family and improve communication and information flow.
3. ANOTHER GREAT IDEA FROM JOHNSON CHAPEL AME CHURCH IN SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA – AN EVENING WITH THE PASTOR WITH A MOVIE IN THE PASTOR’S HOME WITH MEMBERS BRINGING A COVERED DISH:
“The movie “Woman Thou Art Loosed”, based on Bishop TD Jakes book, will be shown in my home Saturday March 26th at 6:00 PM. This is a time for women ages 18 and older (please no children) to fellowship. Bring your favorite dish with you that we might all enjoy. See me for directions to my home.” Rev. Juanita Dennis.
4. BEWARE OF EMAILS THAT PROMISE TO NET YOU A LOT OF MONEY. SISTER JEANETTE JOHNS CAUTIONS OUR READERSHIP:
Just as a reminder to people who may be new to the Internet or who are not as computer-savvy as those who have more of this experience of people offering to let you in on making some money, and those who are a bit "greedy" and would jump at $10,000,000. Or those who would, just out of curiosity, respond and be r-e-a-l sorry later! They might not know that they should simply delete those kinds of messages and be on the lookout for the next one to come through -- and deleted any follow-on messages also.
The letters usually start out in this fashion…
“I am the above named person from NIGERIA. I am married to Mr. BENSON ADAMS, who worked with NIGERIA embassy in SOUTH AFRICA for nine years before he died in the year 2002. We were married for eleven years without a child. He died after a brief illness that lasted for only four days. Before his death we were both born again Christian. Since his death I decided not to remarry or get a child outside my matrimonial home which the Bible is against. When my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of $4.5 Million (Four Million five hundred thousand U.S. Dollars) in a local bank here in NIGERIA…”
Editor’s Comment: Never respond to these types of email messages! Nobody is giving away free money. They ARE trying to get a little, or a lot of money from you!
5. THIRTEENTH EPISCOPAL DISTRICTED CELEBRATED “AME WORKDAY”:
Members of the 13th Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church participated in a community service workday on Saturday, March 5, 2005. All across the states of Tennessee and Kentucky members of the 13th Episcopal District were actively involved in community service. Pictured above are Rev. Paulette Woodard, Pastor of Sulphur Spring AME Church, Cunningham, TN and members of her congregation. Pastor Woodard and her members spent Saturday picking up trash along Southside Road and portions of Old Highway 48 in Cunningham, TN. The day concluded with members doing some house cleaning around their church. “Lifting in Love” is the motto of this congregation and their efforts on this community workday demonstrated their love for God and the community.
Submitted by A. Ivery, President of Lay Organization, Sulphur Spring AME Church, Cunningham, TN
6. SAINT PAUL AME CHURCH, VALDOSTA GEORGIA WILL CELEBRATE COLLEGIATE SUNDAY:
St. Paul AME Church will host Collegiate Sunday on April 17, 2005 during the 11:00 a.m. service. Students from Valdosta State University, Valdosta Technical College, and Georgia Military Academy are invited.
Guest speaker will be Bro. Nathaniel Robinson. He is a student at Turner Theological Seminary, Atlanta, GA. and serving at Flipper Temple AME, Atlanta, GA. Gregory V. Eason is the pastor.
Women and Men's Day Celebration will be held on April 24, 2005. Services at 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Guest preachers: the Rev. Cassandra Marcus at the 11:00 a.m. service and Pastor Kenneth Marcus at 4:00 p.m. They are the Pastor and Wife team of Turner Chapel AME Church in Marietta, Georgia.
Bruce Leon Francis, M.Div., Pastor
Saint Paul AME Church
419 S. Ashley St.
Valdosta, GA. 31601
(229) 244-8065 (Church)
7. THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN DONALDSON, GEORGIA LAST WEEK:
The Ordination service was awesome. Dr. Anne Lightner Fuller was the preacher. She brought a powerful message. After the preaching the spirit of the Lord came down and Dr. Pam DeVeaux took us higher singing and dancing to Gods glory. Host pastor is Millie Anne Smith Rambeau, Live Oak AME Church. Bishop and Dr. Pam DeVeaux are doing well.
Bishop Robert Thomas preached the Commissioning Service. More later.
8. QUINN CHAPEL, CHICAGO AND PASTOR JAMES MOODY FEATURED IN BLACK AMERICAN WEBSITE:
The Reverend Jim Moody, author of the "Pastor's Corner" and pastor of Quinn Chapel, Chicago wrote to share that Quinn Chapel is featured in an article in the “BlackAmericaWeb.com” website. The story addresses "Divine Restorations," a new make over show targeting African American churches in the U.S. and Canada. Quinn Chapel will be featured in the opening episode to air Sunday March 27, 2005 at 7:00 p.m. (CST) on the "TV One Network." The article can be found at http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site.aspx/bawnews/divine321, today, March 21, 2005.
9. THE PASTOR’S CORNER: “GOING FORWARD WITH GOD THE WAY TO JERUSALEM:
They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again He took the twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to Him. (Mark 10:32)
The passage above describes those who were going forward with God on their way to Jerusalem. Jerusalem is the place of “PURPOSE” in the earthly life of Jesus Christ. Jerusalem is the place of the suffering, death, burial, and resurrection of the Christ of God. Jerusalem is the place of exchange – where “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (II Corinthians 5: 21). All believers are on their way to Jerusalem. It represents the place of “PURPOSE” in the lives of those who are the members of the body of Christ – the Church. The way to Jerusalem is the journey of life.
There were three different groups who were on their way to Jerusalem. Each of the groups displayed its own response to the journey that Christ was leading them on:
1. The Disciples were those who chose to pattern their lives after the life and teachings they observed and received through their contact with Christ. Their response to the journey to Jerusalem was that of astonishment and was the product of limiting a limitless God. Their expectations of Christ were too low because they were based on their personal experience and not the “unlimited, Almighty, All- knowing” nature of God.
2. The Followers were those who, short of patterned living after Christ, chose to come along with Jesus and accompany Him. They sought the benefit of being in His presence. Their response to the journey to Jerusalem was fear and was the product of not trusting fully a trustworthy God. They desired to control the outcomes of their lives and to use God to simply facilitate the achievement of their personal interests. They exalted themselves as little gods and diminished the role of the Christ to that of a servant of their wishes.
3. The Twelve were those chosen by God and set aside for the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the building of the kingdom of God. Their response varied – at times fear (Mark 10: 10), at times astonishment (Mark 10: 24-26), at times selfish ambition (Mark 10: 35-45), yet in all their failings there was total abandonment to God (Mark 10: 28).
Obviously to be chosen by God does not require perfection because the Twelve’s failings were evident throughout their ministry. Nor does it require a full understanding of God’s plan, because even though Jesus took the Twelve “aside and told them what was going to happen to him,” they didn’t begin to understand it until after the Cross. What distinguished the Twelve was their willingness to trustingly place themselves in God’s hands to be used to accomplish God’s will (John 21: 3-6).
God takes our failings, past sins, and our lack of understanding and uses them to touch the lives of those with whom He brings us in contact. The fulfillment of His “PURPOSE” for our lives rests in our lives being placed in His hands, not our personal goodness, ability, or knowledge. As the story goes of the old violin that no one chose to buy at the auction:
No one wanted to bid even five dollars for the dusty old instrument until a master violinist grasped the instrument and played with it the most beautiful music anyone had ever heard. At once the bidding began at five hundred dollars and rose from there. When asked what elevated the value of the item that was once considered of no value, the auctioneer replied, “It was the touch of the Master’s hand.”
As we go forward with God, let’s cast aside our desire to control the outcomes God has for our lives. Let’s disregard the limits we’ve previously placed on a sovereign and all-wise Creator. Let’s trustingly place our lives in the hands of the Master as we travel on “The Way to Jerusalem.”
Pastor Moody
Archive of The Christian Recorder Online from 2004-2016; Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, 20th Editor of The Christian Recorder
